Vegan Potato Soup

This vegan potato soup is rich, creamy, and loaded with flavor, just like a classic baked potato soup. Made in about 30 minutes, this vegetarian soup is filling, family-friendly, and comforting. Top with vegan versions of baked potato soup favorites, like bacon, sour cream, and shredded cheese.

Prep: 15

Cook: 30

Total: 45

Yield:6 servings

Equipment

dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed pot
whisk
immersion blender or standard blender, see Notes

Ingredients

3 tablespoons vegan butter
½ of one medium yellow onion chopped, about ¾ cup
4 cloves garlic minced
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes peeled, diced into 1" pieces; approximately 6 large potatoes
3 cups vegetable broth
2 cups vegan half-and-half or vegan milk
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon liquid smoke
⅔ cup vegan sour cream optional

Optional Toppings

vegan bacon bits
vegan shredded cheese
vegan sour cream
thinly sliced chives

Instructions

Add vegan butter to dutch oven (or large saucepan) over medium heat. Once melted, add chopped onions and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until onions are tender. Add minced garlic to dutch oven and cook until fragrant, approximately 30 seconds.
Sprinkle all-purpose flour over onions and butter. Whisk until smooth. Add diced potatoes, vegetable broth, half-and-half, salt, pepper, and liquid smoke. Stir well, then increase heat to high.
Bring mixture to boil and let cook until potatoes are fork-tender, approximately 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Remove approximately half of soup (5 cups or so) and set aside. Insert immersion blender into dutch oven and purée until desired consistency is achieved. Return unblended soup to dutch oven.
Alternately, transfer approximately half of soup (5 cups or so) to blender and purée until smooth, then return soup to pot. See Notes below for puréeing soup in regular blender.
Simmer blended soup for 15 minutes or so, then stir in ⅔ cup vegan sour cream if using. Portion soup into serving bowls, top with additional sour cream, vegan bacon bits, vegan shredded cheese, and/or chives if desired, and serve warm.

Notes

For a smoother soup, don't remove any of the potatoes in step 3. Just blend the entire batch of soup in the dutch oven to eliminate all chunks of vegetables.
Make it Gluten Free: Use gluten-free all-purpose flour, and make sure your vegetable broth is gluten free.

Tips for Blending Hot Soup in a Standard Blender

Fill the blender no more than halfway. You may have to blend your ingredients in a few batches.
After pouring the liquid into the blender, let it sit a few minutes to cool slightly before blending.
Before blending, remove the center cap from the blender lid and cover the hole with a dish towel instead. This will keep pressure from building up inside the blender. Keep your hand on the lid to hold it down while blending.

Nutrition

Recipe By:Cheryl Malik